Anant Solkar Profile

Anant Solkar Biography

Anant Solkar is a former cricketer associated with first class cricket, who currently serves as a cricket coach in Mumbai. He is best known as the younger brother of Eknath Solkar, one of the finest all-rounders of Indian cricket in the 1970s. Anand excelled in school cricket and is best known for his all-round performance of 396 runs individual score and took 6/28 in an inter-school game in 1968. Though it was assumed that he would become the next Eknath Solkar of Indian team, his career didn’t take off. He later sought solace in drink following his failed career. He came out of his alcohol addiction in 2007 and currently teaches youngsters cricket free of cost in Mumbai.

Anant Solkar was born in Mumbai on 19 September 1951 into a family associated with sports. His father was the head grounds man at Hindu Gymkhana, a social and sporting club in Mumbai. His elder brother Eknath Solkar was already a glowing star of Indian cricket in the 1970s, known as an all-rounder. Anant Solkar too was an all-rounder who excelled in bat, apart from being a spin bowler. In a Harris Shield match in 1968, he scored 396 and took 6/28, which is still regarded as one of the great all-round performances of Indian school cricket. His outstanding performance was well praised by media, which believed he would become the next big thing in Indian cricket.

He made his first-class debut in the 1972-73 season for Railways and played several Ranji matches. In 1972 he made his career best bowling performance in a Ranji match against Delhi with a magic figure of 8/100. After that he played for Maharashtra for the next 5 seasons. He managed to play 26 first-class games and picked up 63 wickets, before he was dropped during the 1980-81 season. Depressed Anant took to drinking and became an addict which fully ruined his cricket career. He also lost his daughter to blood cancer in 1986. The following year he quit his job at Tata Electric. Now free of alcohol addiction, he leads a new life as a cricket umpire of local matches and as a coach in Mumbai.